David W. Parke II, MD

July 2008

The Board of Trustees has accepted the planned retirements of the Academy’s two senior leaders, H. Dunbar Hoskins Jr., MD, executive vice president and chief executive officer, and David J. Noonan, deputy executive vice president and chief operating officer effective in 2009.

We do so with profound gratitude for their innumerable contributions to the Academy and to the profession of ophthalmology. Our profession and the Academy have been fortunate to have benefitted from the service of Dr. Hoskins as CEO for 16 years and Mr. Noonan as COO for 37 years. Consistent with their leadership style, they have carefully prepared the organization for change, and it is well positioned to facilitate that transition. Soon we will begin the search for a new executive vice president.

Mr. Noonan will leave his position in January 2009. Dr. Hoskins will depart in the spring of 2009, pending selection of his successor. I am pleased to say that both will continue to serve the organization as consultants, using their skills and rich knowledge of the Academy and profession to benefit ophthalmology for years to come.

For an organization of our size and scope, it is amazing to reflect that the Academy has had only two CEOs and one COO since its move to San Francisco more than 30 years ago. One of their greatest strengths, in my opinion, has always been the ability to manage the Academy as a business, while simultaneously never forgetting that it is at heart an organization of volunteers dedicated to serving members and their patients.

Personally, I would like to thank Dunbar and David for their long years of service and leadership. I know that I speak for thousands of ophthalmologist volunteers who sustain the Academy in also thanking them for their friendship. It would be difficult for me to adequately put into words what their dedication and vision have meant to our profession and the Academy. Simply said, we owe a lot to them, and they will be greatly missed at the helm.

Dunbar and David leave as a legacy a strong, focused and effective organization with a capable management team and professional staff. We have been developing a plan for new leadership for some time, and I can assure you that I and the Board of Trustees are dedicated to a smooth transition. We will honor Dunbar and David and other esteemed colleagues by continuing the Academy’s 112-year tradition of educational excellence and advancement of the profession of ophthalmology.